MichaelB wrote:Plympton Cycles. Not a huge shop, but when I went in, there were only 3 road bikes - the LeMond, a Gitane Mach 1600 and a cheapie. It was the initial price that got me intersted in the LeMond, and after looking around, took a friends advice and made an offer.

Another couple of months before I ride it (2 more pays) and depending on how quick I finish the paving determines when I get the carpals done and then can get back into riding !!!

Michael B

Don't know that shop. Good on them taking an offer.
Paving eh? That is one reason they invented 'tradesmen'. I was a surveyor in a previous incarnation and paving was the bain of my life, especially relaying the stuff - mind you, I've been back to corners I'd dug up and you wouldn't have known I'd been there, but ...
Keep us posted on the purchase mate. Do they let you go out the back and drool all over it everytime you make a payment?

I was surprised. I mentioned that $1500 was a bit outta my budget, so we went to the computer and said:I paid $1300 for it, and I need to make something, so how about $1,350 ?"

Sold !! His honesty was refreshing, and that swayed me. Made the main deposit today.

Tradesmen - don't get paid enough for someone to take my life savings to do what I am doing at the house. Lots of paths and chnages of plans. Just over 6 pallets will be used by the end of the job (on top of the 120 sq. metres already done at the back !!!) and there will be a huge pond to do as well.

I am a tradesman as well (Aircraft Engineer) as well as Manufacturing in Automotive, so reckon I am trained enough.

Gives a good workout though !!!

Cheers

Michael B

Oh,

Haven't asked for a fondle when I make a payment, as I'm afraid the drool might be corrosive and spoil the paintwork

giant1 wrote:I'm with you on the bling. Get the best bike you can if you can. Life is too short for compromise.

Define "best"!

If you are just after bike bling, then bling without class is nothing. It's like buying a souped up Ford Falcon vs a red Italian roadster. Life is too short without a touch of class!

Given your first entry into road biking, ride to get to know the technology, work on your engine, then consider the upgrade based on your knowledge and needs. Coming to a forum asking blindly for the "best" bike is a sure label of a fred irrespective of how much you have in your pocket.

Hey "sogood" I asked for comments on the bikes not me. Reading between the lines of your response the best is obviously something you can't have. Keep your opinions to your self if all you can do is pass judgment on others. Losers always need to pull some one else down in order to feel good, so go darken some body elses door step.

giant1 wrote:Hey "sogood" I asked for comments on the bikes not me. Reading between the lines of your response the best is obviously something you can't have. Keep your opinions to your self if all you can do is pass judgment on others. Losers always need to pull some one else down in order to feel good, so go darken some body elses door step.

The fact is that you opened yourself up for comments with that "life is too short" line. If you ask for "best", then please stiffen up to what others have to say about it.

Good on you Richard!
Listen up you pair.... I joined this forum when I was looking for a new roadie a few weeks ago and got a warm reception and great advice from other members. Maybe this was because I brought along an attitude of humility and appreciation for those who offered me help rather than hurling insults? You work it out!
Stop being boofheads and you will find this forum an excellent source of info from people who give their knowledge to complete strangers for no personal gain.
Now, both of you behave and play together nicely or go to the 'naughty corner'!!
Oh yeah.... My new Bianchi is soooooo beautiful! Now I even get the occassional nod and wave from the Beach Rd. Snobs! Wayne

Yes, I love killer deals, and I'm a sucker for good gear. To think less than 2 months ago, I was looking at spending $600 or so, and lo and behold I end up buying a $2,000 bike !!! For a lot less of course

Cheers

Michael B

PS - I have no idea re spoke lacings, but I think that the rim design is a very important key feature

giant1 wrote:I'm looking for a new road bike. I like the Giant TCR CO and the Orbea Orca. My criteria is carbon frame with durace drive train. Can riders of either of these bike post a report on what they like about them and what to watch for. Should I be looking at other high end bikes?

Hi all

Just thought I would update this post. I finally settled on an Orbea. Not the Orca. It is the Onix frame. I walked into a shop and they had last years model sitting on the floor. Full carbon, full durace with Ksyrium SL wheels. Even the colour was just right (love at first site). I have only done 150 km on so far and it will need some minor fine tuning to the set up. It makes a big difference up hills and top end speed after my mountain bikes and keeping up with the group is no problem now. Though I intend to rotate between each of them because I enjoy both styles so much and just love to ride.

Anyhow thanks to those that responded to my post. I enjoy sitting back and reading everybody elses stuff now.

Well done and am glad that you seem to be as happy with your purchase as I am with mine. I have now done 175km and am almost used to it. Still some minor fiddling to get the 99% right position, but other than that, I'm doing well.

I guess from your description that yours is a tad more expensive than mine, so how about some pics to brag about ?

Speaking of hill climbing, I noticed the difference bewteen the MTB and the LeMond - I was quicker up the hill (had to mash a bit) but the gearing made a big difference - the MTB had 24T front and 28T rear, whereas the LeMond has 39T front and 26T rear, but then again weighs about 7kg less !!!!

The route (28km in total) took 10 minutes less (~13%) than the previous version, sop I am very happy. Trying the same route again on Sunday morning with some mates !!

You can't upload pictures to the forum mate. You upload them to somewhere else on the internet, such as the webspace your ISP has probably given you (and then not told you about so you don't use it ) or to one of the picture hosts such as flickror photobucket. You then provide a link to that photo here such as this one:

You can't upload pictures to the forum mate. You upload them to somewhere else on the internet, such as the webspace your ISP has probably given you (and then not told you about so you don't use it ) or to one of the picture hosts such as flickror photobucket. You then provide a link to that photo here such as this one:

giant1 wrote:I'm looking for a new road bike. I like the Giant TCR CO and the Orbea Orca. My criteria is carbon frame with durace drive train. Can riders of either of these bike post a report on what they like about them and what to watch for. Should I be looking at other high end bikes?

Hi all

Just thought I would update this post. I finally settled on an Orbea. Not the Orca. It is the Onix frame. I walked into a shop and they had last years model sitting on the floor. Full carbon, full durace with Ksyrium SL wheels. Even the colour was just right (love at first site). I have only done 150 km on so far and it will need some minor fine tuning to the set up. It makes a big difference up hills and top end speed after my mountain bikes and keeping up with the group is no problem now. Though I intend to rotate between each of them because I enjoy both styles so much and just love to ride.

Anyhow thanks to those that responded to my post. I enjoy sitting back and reading everybody elses stuff now.

...and here are my "other children"

My eldest child Giant XTC 1. I did last sydney to Wollongong on this one. In the wind and rain. It was great.

The middle child Giant Anthem 1. great bike, I use this one a lot riding with a group of guys on the weekend. I love riding this bike because it is so comfortable.

Incase anyone is wondering, I don't ride off road due to wornout hip from previous sporting life. My hip won't take constant pounding, it will ache for days later. But road cycling is no problem.

And our newest child Orbea Onix frame. Sooo Light 7.5kg. Built for speed and nothing else. Not even in the same country as comfortable. But did I mention the speed!!!!!!

Last edited by giant1 on Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Dammit mate. Your original link didn't have the front [img] code, so I thought I'd fix it for you, but that didn't work either because the naughty words editor keeps changing the link (it doesn't like the (AT)).

I tried. I can't even get the link to show on flikr because it wants me to be a member of yahoo

Seeing you're the member, have another go, but do a preview (button at the bottom of the reply window) to make sure it works.

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